New Delhi: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Sunday issued blocking orders against 22 illegal betting apps and websites, including Mahadev Book and Reddyannaprestopro.
The action follows investigations conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against an illegal betting app syndicate and subsequent raids on Mahadev Book in Chhattisgarh, revealing the app’s unlawful operations.
Accused Bhim Singh Yadav, working as a Constable in the Chhattisgarh Police force and one Asim Das are currently in custody, having been arrested under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for the commission of the offence of Money laundering u/s 3, punishable u/s 4 of PMLA, 2002.
Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, and Electronics & Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “Chhattisgarh Government had all the power to recommend shutting down of website/app under Sec 69A IT Act. However, they did not do so and no such request was made by the State Government while they have been investigating it for the last 1.5 years. In fact, the first and only request has been received from ED and it has been acted upon. Nothing prevented the Chhattisgarh Government from making similar requests.”
The blocking orders come hours after the BJP on Sunday sharpened its attack on the Congress over Mahadev betting app and asked its former president Rahul Gandhi as well as Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel to clarify their alleged links with the money transaction in the case.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Delhi, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi alleged that the facts coming out in the case indicate that the Congress has no match in inventing new ways of corruption and cheating. Be it inventing new ways of corruption or setting new benchmarks of corruption, the Congress party is today a living proof that no one can match them. Breaking their own previous records, they have now set a new record, Trivedi charged.
Referring to media reports, the BJP leader said that a person sitting in Dubai has claimed that he is the owner of the betting app, and he has also clearly talked about giving money to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Baghel and his associates. Given the new revelations coming in, it won't be an exaggeration to say that the way the Congress is inventing new methods of corruption and cheating, the Chhattisgarh government has perhaps added a new dimension to it. Perhaps it is leaving behind infamous international thugs like Natwarlal and Charles Sobhraj also, he alleged.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday claimed that a forensic analysis and a statement made by a 'cash courier' have led to "startling allegations" that Mahadev betting app promoters paid about Rs 508 crore to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel so far, and that "these are subject matter of investigation".
The alleged agent, 38-year-old Asim Das, has been arrested by the agency in Raipur after it recovered Rs 5.39 crore cash from him. He was allegedly sent by the app promoters from the UAE "especially, to deliver large amounts of cash for electioneering expenses of the ruling Congress Party". In view of the new forms of corruption coming to light in Chhattisgarh, it seems that corruption has many fathers but the money is orphan, he charged.
Also read: 'Congress didn't even spare Mahadev': PM Modi attacks Chhattisgarh CM over betting app row
